


A Mother's Kiss

by tothebatcave53



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Established Relationship, Force Ghosts, Hux loved his mom and no one can tell me otherwise, Huxloween, Kylo feels guilty even when its not about him, Kylo torments Mitaka because he can, Lady Hux - Freeform, M/M, Mentions of Death, poor Mitaka, sad Hux
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-10
Updated: 2016-10-10
Packaged: 2018-08-20 14:19:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8252212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tothebatcave53/pseuds/tothebatcave53
Summary: Kylo Ren must go find Hux when Hux takes a very unexpected shore leave and doesn't tell Kylo he's leaving.Huxloween day 7 - ghosts





	

Shore leave, it was something Hux never requested. Kylo had taken it hundreds of times, sometimes with permission and most times without. He was comfortable on land, surrounded by different species, unknown, free. Hux wasn't like that, he needed his ship, he needed order. As far as Kylo knew the Finalizer was the only home Hux really had. So when Kylo went looking for the General half way through the shift cycle he was surprised to find him missing from the bridge.

“Where's Hux?” Kylo snarls at Mitaka, watching as the meek officer shrank in on himself.

“General Hux took shore leave yesterday evening Lord Ren,” Mitaka stammers, seizing in place as Kylo closes his hand into a fist and the force wraps around Mitaka's throat.

“Why?”

“Personal reasons my Lord.”

Kylo growls at Hux's pet officer and squeezes harder, watching Mitaka squirm and whimper sends a thrill of deep pleasure down Kylo's spine. No one on the bridge intervenes, not like Hux usually does when he torments the officer. “Ready my ship and load his coordinates into my navigation system.” Kylo gives one last squeeze before dropping Mitaka back to his feet.

“With all do respect my Lord,” Mitaka wheezes. “It seemed like a personal matter; I believe he wishes to be left alone. My Lord,” Mitaka says, stammering the least Kylo's ever seen in his presence.

“Ready. My. Ship. Lieutenant!” Kylo snarls, the force crackling around him with enough pressure to make the officers nearest flinch.

“Yes my Lord!” Mitaka squeaks out, hurrying to send along the message as Kylo stalks from the bridge toward the hanger.

His Upsilon class ship is humming with warmed engines when Kylo arrives. He dismisses the troopers that flank the ship with a wave of his hand, storming aboard. With the coordinates entered Kylo pushes the ship into hyperspace as soon as he's cleared the Finalizer.

 

Kylo finds himself docking at a small planet near the center of the outer rim, a farming and trade planet that had done dealings with the First Order in the past. It seems an odd place for Hux to suddenly jump off and take shore leave to so, Kylo reasons, he must be here for some other purpose.

Hux isn't a hard man to track, Kylo is attuned to the feel of Hux's mind, his thoughts, his feelings. Countless nights spent together quietly and endless days spent butting heads have left an imprint of Hux's very soul, pressed right over Kylo's own.

He takes a speeder out, following the thin trail that is Hux but also so subdued. It's worrisome, like Hux's entire consciousness has been muffled. He follows the road, then a simple dirt path out of town and into the woods. Kylo must leave the speeder at one point when the brush gets too heavy, he sees another speeder which he assumes is the one that Hux took to get to such a place. The rest of the journey has to be made on foot then it seems.

The woods are quite serene, with bleached bark that crawls toward the sky in curling formations that would make a man dizzy if he were to turn to stare at only the tree tops. Song birds breath quiet little tunes between the red leaves of the trees and a fox watches Kylo pass with only mild interest as it plays.

A gate marks the entrance to where his journey ends. There are little graves, angels and religious symbols erected to honor the dead that have been gone so long the names have faded on the stones. It is gray, the sun unable to pierce through the canopy and all the color that Kylo can see is the splash of red hair, bent in front of a newer looking statue.

That muted feeling overpowers all of Kylo's senses and he quiets, all rage and abandonment he had felt dissipating. He understands now where Hux has come and why.

“Why did you follow me?” Hux mutters, bitter exhaustion riddling his voice. Kylo has never heard him sound as beaten down as he does now. That muted feeling lifts only for a moment, briefly hot anger splashes along Kylo's insides from Hux before it is gone again, only a bone aching emptiness.

“How long have you been out here?” Kylo whispers, coming forward carefully.

Hux doesn't turn, his hands clenching tightly behind his back. When Kylo's fingers reach out to touch the man's skin is ice cold.

“Don't touch me Kylo,” Hux says, pulling forward out of reach. “Leave me alone, this isn't a place for you.”

“It isn't a place for you either,” Kylo breaths, coming forward to look at the grave Hux stands in front of. _Lady Magnolia Hux_ is engraved in a simple script across the front of the stone and it hits Kylo harder who Hux has come to see. His mother. “When?”

“A month and a half ago... the message didn't reach the Finalizer in time,” Hux says, voice as empty as his soul feels pressed against Kylo's. “Go away, I will return to the ship in time. You can run it just fine on your own.”

“Hux.”

“Go away Kylo!” Hux snarls, turning to shove the sith away with so much furious energy that Kylo stumbles away.

Hux's eyes are gray in the light, his clothes rumpled and stained with dirt and grass from when he must have knelt on the ground, his skin is as ashen as it is cold. He looks ready to join his mother in the ground at any moment.

“Let me help you Hux,” Kylo pleads, his own hurt at the rejection bubbling painfully.

“Leave me alone, you don't know a damn thing about it! Get out of here, I don't want to see your face, I don't want you to be anywhere near me!” Hux snarls, lashing out when Kylo reaches for him again.

They stand in silence after the outburst, Kylo's conviction to stay wavering. Hux returns to emptiness, looking back over his shoulder at the grave. “You don't know a thing about it. So please just leave me be.”

Kylo turns to go but a glimmering light catches his eyes for just a moment, hovering over Hux. He turns back, watching in the drab air as what little light there is reflects around a hand, then a dress, long hair and then a face. She is beautiful, her imagine not even subdued with death. She curls around Hux's frame, a low whine coming as she locks eyes with Kylo.

“Your mother is here,” Kylo whispers, unable to tear his eyes away.

“What?!” Hux turns back toward Kylo, outrage rampant in his features. “Why you heartless monster!”

“She's here, trying to communicate with you Hux!” Kylo is prepared for the general's attack this time, catching and blocking each punch that is thrown at him until he is able to grab Hux's wrists and hold him still against his chest, crushing the other in his embrace. “Shut up, feel her for a moment. She wants to tell you something. Listen.”

Hux struggles, snarling like the trapped animal he's become. “I hate you! I hate you Kylo Ren and all your pathetic tricks and manipulations!”

“Listen!” Kylo bellows and the force of his command silences the whole woods around them. In that silence Kylo looks down as Hux looses his battle of wills and cries softly into Kylo's cloak, leaning into the other's hold finally. “She's here. Just listen.”

That woman, Hux's mother, is wrapped around Hux's other side, pressed into his back. Her dress and hair blow in an unseen breeze, her angelic form a soft blue as Kylo watches her stroke and kiss Hux's hair. He hadn't ever given thought to Hux's mother, he had known the man's father, Commandant Brendol Hux, had been a hard man and given Hux very little in his childhood. Kylo had assumed the same about his mother.

Hux lets out a tiny gasp as her fingers brush his wet cheeks and Kylo pushes with the force, fills it within Hux so he can feel her touch fully, feel the warmth and love she radiates from her very core. A soft melody snakes through the graveyard, twisting around Hux. Kylo doesn't know the tune but Hux clearly does as his eyes close and his shoulders lose the tension that had been permanently there. Kylo watches as she kisses his hair only once more. The song fades and with it her ghost.

They're left standing in the graveyard, Kylo carefully releasing Hux from the crushing hold he had held. Hux has his face turned toward the sky, the sun having found a few rays to push through the thick treetops to splash along Hux's pale skin. His hair shines like fire in the light, spun from the purest of golds.

“Forgive me for intruding,” Kylo says softly, preparing to leave when Hux says nothing for several long moments.

“She was the only good thing in my life. A source of comfort even when I was older and no longer a child. I would go to her for everything, she was a more brilliant strategist than my father though never bragged it, just allowed him to reap the glory of years of building something that was successful only by her genius. I was proud to be her son.”

“She was proud to be your mother.” Kylo says, thinking momentarily of the shame his own mother must feel toward him.

“Thank you... for... helping me feel her,” Hux whispers, reaching back toward Kylo with shaking fingers. Kylo allows his cloak to be grasped and then pulled until he is back in front of Hux. He waits, until Hux presses himself to Kylo's chest once more, to wrap his arms around those cold shoulders, that shake now with silent cries for the loss that has shaken the once unshakable man.

“Do you want to stay longer?” Kylo whispers, combing his fingers through that golden hair gently, projecting his own warmth into the frozen body he holds.

“No... I feel at peace now,” Hux says and Kylo nods, scooping Hux up without permission. The man doesn't complain, just allows himself to be carried back the way they had come. Kylo can rest a little easier as they break the woods to the speeders when he feels Hux's soul ignite again against his, a passion and gratefulness burning deep within the other. Kylo says nothing on the matter, just allows himself to absorb the feelings to keep locked inside his mind. As he settles Hux on his speeder he simply leans down to kiss the other, silently promising to be there for Hux as long as the other needs him.

Hux kisses him back.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked this as much as I liked writing it, death of a loved one is a very painful subject even if you're the largest murderer in the galaxy. 
> 
> Feel free to come chat [tumblr](http://tothebatcave53.tumblr.com/)


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